Ments



E. ERICKSON.

OPERATORS CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18, 1911.

Patented Oct. 14, 1919.

EDWARD roxsoN, OFBEVERLY, MAssAcrrusE'rrs, Ass'IenoE, BY MESNE ASSIGN-MENTS, TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY ooEroEA'rIoE, 0E PATERSON, NEW JERSEY,

A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

OPEQRATORS CHAIR.

s ecification of Letters ratezit.

Patented. Oct. 14, 1919.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD ERICKSON, acitizen of the United States, residing at Beverly, in the county ofEssex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements inOperators Chairs, of which the following description, in connection withthe accompanying drawings, is a speci fication, like referencecharacters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to chairs and particularly to improvements inchairs for the use of the operators of machines in factories.

An object of this invention is to improve chairs for the above purposeso that they will be more comfortable, convenient, durable and safealthough inexpensive to manufacture.

WVith a view to increasing the safety of chairs for this purpose, onefeature of the invention consists in improving the folding mechanism ofchairs designed to leave the aisles clear when the chairs are unoccupiedso as to allow the operators to leave the room hurriedly in case ofpanic, fire or other accident.

With the object in mind of producing a comfortable and convenient chair,an important feature of the invention consists in providing simple meansfor adjusting the height of the chair and in also providing means forpermitting the chair to turn to a limited extent when the operatorwishes to occupy it or to rise therefrom while, at the same time,providing means for automatically locking the chair in position as soonas it receives the weight of the operator. Thus, the advantage of aswivel chair is secured when the operator starts to occupy it or risestherefrom, while it also has the advantage that it will remain in fixedrelation to the machine during the time that the operator is at work.Therefore the chair can not move inadvertently and cause the operator tobecome injured or spoilfthe work. Furthermore, means are provided foradjusting the chair on the floor and then looking it in the positionbest suited to meet the requirements of the operator.

\Vith the object of durability in mind, the chair is made principally ofmetal in order to withstand the hard usage to which factory' chairs aresubjected.-

connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Flgure 1 1s a slde elevation of the chalr in foldedposition, dotted lines showing the chair in position for occupancy;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the chair in folded position, and Fig. 3is a detail of the means for adusting the height of the chair andproviding for a limited turning thereof.

Referring to the drawings in detail:

The base portion 6 of the chair consists of a casting having an upwardlyextending socket 10 to receive the upright which supports the chair, aswill be described in detail later. In order to permit the position ofthe chair upon the floor to be adjusted, a T-slot casting 4 is providedwhich is fastened to the floor by means of screws. Be-

fore this piece is secured to the floor, a screw is placed with its headlocated in the wide portion of the slot and with the threaded portionextending upright to pass through a slot provided in the base portion 6,which slot is located substantially at right angles to the T-slot in thecasting l. A nut S on the screw fastens the base portion securelyagainst the" floor after the chair has been located to meet therequirements of the operator. This construction increases the usefulnessof the chair when combined with the other features of construction ofthe present invention.

In the socket 10 is slidingly located the seat supporting upright 12.This is prefer-.

ably made of tubing to economize in material and to lessen the weight. T0 this tube is pivotally connected at 14 a spider frame 22 to which theseat 13 is secured. A coil spring 16, coaxial with the pivot 14:, hasits two straight ends 18 and 20 bear respectively against the inside ofthe upright 12 and against the under side of the seat 13. This springcauses the chair-to assume the full line position of Fig. 1 when it isunoccupied but allows it to readily assumethe dotted line position whenthe chair receives the weight of the operator, as will be betterunderstood after the chair has been more fully described.

To the spider frame 22 is pivotally connected a back-rest support holder24 on which the back-rest support 28 is clamped in any desired adjustedposition by means of the binding screw 29 and clamp 30. The back-restsupport28 is composed of a unitary piece of tubing in the form' of anin:

will thus be seen that the parts 22, 24 andv 26 form a link-motion forallowing thechair tolopen or to fold up, the lengths of the links beingso chosen that the part 24 main tains the back-rest support and the backrest at substantially the same angle relatively to the floor in bothpositions. By such a design the back-rest is folded close to the benchwhen the chair is unoccupied, leaving the aisle clear for the purposeabove set forth.

A convenient and novel construction for adjusting the height of theseat, and at the same time for permitting limited angular movement ofthe seat so as to make it easy for the operator to occupy the chair orrise therefrom, is shown in detail in Fig. 3 and consists. ofv the loosesleeve 32 and the parts cooperating therewith. This sleeve looselysurrounds the upright 12 in the illustrated embodiment of the inventionand is pro-. vided at its upper end with three pairs of vertical notches34, 36 and 38. The notches of each pair are diametrically opposite eachother and are of equal depth but each pair is of different depth thanthat of the other pairs. When the chair is lifted somewhat in the socket10, the sleeve may be freely turned around upon the upright until thedesired pair of notches is in position to engage the bolt 40 whichpivotally connects the brace 26 and the upright 12. When the chair isdropped back in its socket, the bolt 40 rests in the bottom of thepairof notches then engaged, the particular pair of notches with whichit isengaged determining the height of the chair. At the lower end of thesleeve 32 are a series of notches 42 which are of equal width, one pairof which will be engaged with the raised stops 44 upon the top of thesocket .10, according to which pair of upper notches is engaged with thebolt 40. As the notches 42 are Wider than the stops 44, a limited amountof angular movement is permitted between the notches and stops. Thisallows limited angular movement of the chair, which movement is thesameforeach of the adjusted positions of the sleeve 32, for the reasonthat the upper and lower notches of the sleeve are symmetrically locatedrelatively to each other. 7

This sleeve 32 thus provides a very simple and effective means foradjusting the height of'the seat and permitting limited rotationthereof, no tools whatever being required to make the adjustment forheight.

When it is desired to raise the chair to a height greater than ispermitted by the sleeve 32, a longer sleeve may conveniently besubstitutedtherefor or the chair may be clamped in raised position, ifthe turning feature is not desired, by means of the bolt .48 which drawsthe socket together into clamping position, the socket being split atv5O to allow it to spring together.

Besides the function already mentioned, the lug 46 bears firmly againstthe socket 10 when the chair is occupied, so that the chair is clampedin the desired angular position. However, as soon as the operator startsto rise and the chair starts to fold up, the clamping action is releasedand the chair may then be turned so that there will be plenty of spacefor the operator to rise.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent of the United States 1s: 1

1. 'A folding chair, having, in combination, a base portion constructedand arranged to be secured to a floor, an upright mounted on said baseportion, a seat pivotally connected to said upright, a back rest supportholder, a back rest support secured to said holder, a back rest on saidsupport and a brace pivotally connected to, the upright, said holderbeing pivotally connected to the seat and to the brace.

2. A folding chair, having, in combination, a base portion constructedand arranged a seat and to the brace, and said pivotally connectedmembers forming a link-motion so constructed and arranged that the backrest support holder maintains the back rest support at substantially thesame angle relatively to the floor in both the open and fold edpositions of the chair.

3. A folding chair, having, incombina tion, abase portion constructedand arranged to be secured to a floor, an uprlght mounted on sald baseportion, a seat pivotally connected to said upright, a back rest supportholder, a back rest support, aback rest on said support, and a bracepivotally connected to the uprlght, sald holder being pivotallyconnected to the seat andto the brace, and said pivotally connectedmembers being constructed and arranged to cause the back rest support torise and simultaneously to move forward toward the front of the chairwhen it is being folded.

LA folding chair, having, in combination, a base portion constructed andarranged to be adjustably secured to a floor, an upright mounted on saidbase portion, a seat pivotally connected to said upright, a back restsupport holder, a back rest support comprising a unitary member adjustably secured to said holder, a back rest on said support, a bracepivotally connected to the upright, said holder being pivotallyconnected to the seat and to the brace and a spring for causing thechair to fold up when the occupant rises therefrom.

5. An adjustable chair, having, in combi nation, a base portionconstructed and arranged to be secured to a floor, an upright mounted onsaid base portion, a seat supported by said upright, stops on the baseportion and the upright and a loose sleeve constructed and arranged tocooperate with the stops in any one of a plurality of differentpositions to adjust the height of the seat and permit limited rotationthereof.

6. An adjustable chair, having, in combination, a base portionconstructed and arranged to be secured to a floor, an upright mounted onsaid base portion, a seat supported by said upright, one set of stops onthe base portion and another set on the upright and a loose sleevehaving in one end a plurality of notches of equal size to cooperate withone set of stops and having in the other end a plurality of pairs ofnotches to cooperate with the other set of stops, the notches of eachpair being diametrically opposite each other and of equal depth but thenotches of each pair being of different depth from those of the otherpairs.

7 An adjustable chair, having, in combination, a base portionconstructed and arranged to be secured to a floor, an upright mounted onsaid base portion, a seat supported by said upright, one set of stops onthe base portion and another set on the upright and a loose sleevehaving, in one end, a plurality of notches to engage one set of stops,said notches being wider than the stops to permit limited relativeangular movement between the notches and stops, and said loose sleevehaving, in the other end, a plurality of pairs of notches, each pair ofa different depth, and any pair being adapted to be engaged selectivelywith the other set of stops to permit the height of the seat to beadjusted.

8. A folding chair, having, in combination, a base portion constructedand arranged to be secured to a floor, an upright mounted on said baseportion, a seat pivotally connected to said upright, a back rest supportholder, a back rest support secured to said holder, a back rest on saidsupport, a brace pivotally connected to the upright, said holder beingpivotally connected to the'seat and to the brace, means for causing thechair to fold up when the occupant arises therefrom, stops on the baseportion and on the upright and a loose sleeve constructed and arrangedto cooperate with the stops in any one of a plurality of differentpositions to adjust the height of the seat and permit limited rotationthereof.

9. A folding chair, having, in combination, a base portion constructedand arranged to be secured to a floor, an upright mounted on said baseportion, a seat pivotally connected to said upright, a link member, abrace, a bolt pivotally connecting the brace and the upright, said linkmember being pivotally connected to the seat and to the brace, means forcausing the chair to fold up when the occupant arises therefrom, a stopon the base portion and a loose sleeve having, in one end, a pluralityof notches of equal size to cooperate with the stop and having, in theother end, a plurality of pairs of notches to engage with the pivotconnecting the brace and the upright, the notches of each pair beingdiametrically opposite each other and of equal depth but the notches ofeach pair being of different depth from those of the other pairs.

10. A folding chair, having, in combination, a base portion constructedand arranged to be secured to a floor, an upright mounted on said baseportion, a seat pivotally connected to said upright, a link member, abrace pivotally connected to the upright, said link member beingpivotally connected to the seat and to the brace, means for permittinglimited angular movement of the chair and means for maintaining thechair in fixed angular position when it is occupied.

11. A folding chair, having, in combination, a base portion constructedand arranged to be secured to a floor, an upright mounted on said baseportion, a seat pivotally connected to said upright, a link member, abrace pivotally connected to the upright, said link member beingpivotally connected to the seat and to the brace, a stop on the baseportion, a loose sleeve having in one end a plurality of notches toengage the stop, said notches being wider than the stops to permitlimited relative angular movement between the notches and stop, and alug on the brace constructed and arranged to engage the base portionwhen the chair is occupied and maintain the chair against angularmovement.

12. A mechanism for adjusting the height of a chair, having, incombination, a member connected tothe chair, a member connected to thefloor, and means cooperating between them comprising a stop and aplurality of notches of different depths, any notch being adapted to beengaged selectively With said stop to permit the height of the chair tobe adjusted.

13. A folding chair, having, in combination, a base portion constructedand arranged to be secured to' a floor, an upright ally connected tosaid upright, a link inemher, a brace pivotally connected to theupright, said link member being pivotally connected to the seat and tothe brace, and means for causing the chair to fold up When the occupantrises therefrom.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification,

EDWARD ERIGKSON.

10 mounted on said base portion, a seat pivot- Gopies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents eaeh, by addressing the Commissioner ofPatents,

Washington, 11.10. 4

